The Partnership to Protect Medicare is a bi-partisan, 501c4 formed in 2011. We are supported by patient advocacy organizations, medical providers and leaders in the health care industry.

Our mission is to fight cuts proposed in Washington that will limit, and in some cases eliminate, the access of many of Medicare's most vulnerable patients to the critical treatments they need. Part B is the portion of Medicare that provides many of the program's sickest patients access to their life changing cures and therapies, such as treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has put forward a reimbursement modification, called the Proposed Medicare Part B Payment Model, which threatens patient access to healthcare. The Proposed Model would create a differential access standard based on where a patient lives. Under this "trial," providers will be randomly assigned to a "study" or "control" group based on geographical area. The control group will be reimbursed under the current payment model, while the payments for providers in the experimental group will be slashed. This mean that some medical providers would be paid less for the same treatment services based on their location, without considering the healthcare needs of their patients.

Medicare Part B beneficiaries face devastating diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. They are patients who require visits to physician offices or clinics to receive their care. Changes to Part B would create serious disruptions for these beneficiaries at the worst possible time and make it more difficult - if not impossible - for them to access the care they need.

While we understand the importance of balancing the budget and maintaining the sustainability of the Medicare program, the Proposed Model is a haphazard experiment that will likely do more harm than good. We urge CMS to withdraw this proposal before it can disrupt patient access to necessary treatment.

Our Mission

Medicare represents a promise made to Americans that they will have access to quality affordable health care as they age or if they become disabled. The Partnership to Protect Medicare formed in 2011 to make sure that promise is kept for those Medicare beneficiaries who rely on life changing treatments and cures delivered through Medicare Part B.

Supported by patient advocacy organizations, medical providers and leaders in the health care industry, our mission is to fight experimental changes that will reduce, and in some cases eliminate, access to critical care for some of Medicare's most vulnerable patients. Through a variety of advocacy efforts, we seek to call attention to the impact of modifications to Medicare Part B on beneficiaries and to ensure that the government does not implement changes that could hurt Medicare recipients.